000
CXUS51 KBUF 030222
CLMROC

CLIMATE REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BUFFALO NY
922 PM EST WED JAN 2 2013

...................................

...THE ROCHESTER NY CLIMATE SUMMARY FOR THE MONTH OF DECEMBER 2012...

CLIMATE NORMAL PERIOD 1981 TO 2010
CLIMATE RECORD PERIOD 1871 TO 2012

WEATHER         OBSERVED          NORMAL  DEPART  LAST YEAR`S
                 VALUE   DATE(S)  VALUE   FROM    VALUE  DATE(S)
                                          NORMAL
................................................................
TEMPERATURE (F)
RECORD
 HIGH              72   12/03/1982
 LOW              -16   12/20/1942
HIGHEST            70   12/04                         60  12/04
LOWEST             16   12/29                         10  12/29
AVG. MAXIMUM     41.7              36.5     5.2     42.2
AVG. MINIMUM     30.6              23.5     7.1     28.3
MEAN             36.2              30.0     6.2     35.2
DAYS MAX >= 90      0               0.0     0.0        0
DAYS MAX <= 32      8              10.4    -2.4        3
DAYS MIN <= 32     22              24.9    -2.9       22
DAYS MIN <= 0       0               0.4    -0.4        0

PRECIPITATION (INCHES)
RECORD
 MAXIMUM         6.17   1878
 MINIMUM         0.62   1958
TOTALS           3.57              2.63    0.94     2.48
DAYS >= .01        17                                 16
DAYS >= .10        11                                  8
DAYS >= .50         1                                  0
DAYS >= 1.00        0                                  0
GREATEST
 24 HR. TOTAL    0.92   12/26 TO 12/27           12/05 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06

SNOWFALL (INCHES)
RECORDS
 TOTAL           46.5   2010
TOTALS           22.6              21.8     0.8      4.9
SINCE 7/1        23.4              29.2    -5.8      5.2
SNOWDEPTH AVG.      2                 3      -1        0
DAYS >= 1.0         6               6.3    -0.3        2
GREATEST
 SNOW DEPTH        11   12/30                          1  12/30
                                                          12/29
 24 HR TOTAL      8.5   12/26 TO 12/26           12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06
                                                          12/06 TO 12/06

DEGREE_DAYS
HEATING TOTAL     887              1085    -198      914
 SINCE 7/1       2176              2453    -277     1985
COOLING TOTAL       0                 0       0        0
 SINCE 1/1        802               539     263      695
.......................................................

WIND (MPH)
AVERAGE WIND SPEED              8.8
HIGHEST WIND SPEED/DIRECTION    32/300
HIGHEST GUST SPEED/DIRECTION    43/300    DATE  12/22

SKY COVER
POSSIBLE SUNSHINE (PERCENT)   MM
NUMBER OF DAYS FAIR            0
NUMBER OF DAYS PC              4
NUMBER OF DAYS CLOUDY         27

AVERAGE RH (PERCENT)     77

WEATHER CONDITIONS. NUMBER OF DAYS WITH
THUNDERSTORM              0     MIXED PRECIP               1
HEAVY RAIN                1     RAIN                       4
LIGHT RAIN               12     FREEZING RAIN              0
LT FREEZING RAIN          2     HAIL                       0
HEAVY SNOW                3     SNOW                       7
LIGHT SNOW               14     SLEET                      1
FOG                      23     FOG W/VIS <= 1/4 MILE      3
HAZE                      1

-  INDICATES NEGATIVE NUMBERS.
R  INDICATES RECORD WAS SET OR TIED.
MM INDICATES DATA IS MISSING.
T  INDICATES TRACE AMOUNT.

&&

...SNOW RETURNS TO ROCHESTER...

THE MAJORITY OF DECEMBER LEFT MUCH OF WESTERN NEW YORK BARON OF
SNOW. FOR A GOOD PORTION OF THE FIRST HALF OF THE MONTH IT
REMAINED RATHER UNEVENTFUL AND UNSEASONABLY WARM. TEMPERATURES ONCE
AGAIN RAN WELL ABOVE NORMAL. SNOW RETURNED THE FINAL WEEK OF THE
MONTH WITH TEMPERATURES AVERAGING NEAR NORMAL.

THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE FOR DECEMBER IN ROCHESTER WAS 36.2F WHICH
WAS 6.2F ABOVE THE NORMAL OF 30.0F. THIS RANKS AS THE EIGHTH WARMEST
DECEMBER ON RECORD. ROCHESTER ALSO BROKE A DAILY RECORD
ON DEC 4TH WHERE A HIGH OF 70F WAS REACHED. THIS BROKE THE OLD
RECORD OF 66F SET BACK IN 1982. ANOTHER RECORD WAS BROKEN ON DEC
17TH...A RECORD WARM MINIMUM TEMPERATURE OF 44F WAS SET.
FURTHERMORE...ON A MUCH LARGER SCALE THERE WERE ONLY TWO MONTHS
WHERE THE AVERAGE TEMPERATURE WAS BELOW NORMAL THIS YEAR...APRIL AND
NOVEMBER. THIS YEAR ALONE WILL GO DOWN IN THE RECORD BOOKS AS HAVING
TIED THE WARMEST AVERAGE ANNUAL TEMPERATURE OF 52.1F.

SNOW FOR DECEMBER TOTALED 22.6 INCHES...WHICH IS ABOUT 5 INCHES
BELOW NORMAL. MOST OF THIS SNOW FELL OVER A 4 DAY PERIOD FROM THE
26TH THROUGH THE 29TH. JUST WHEN WE THOUGHT IT LOOKED LIKE WE
WOULDNT SEE SNOW IN ROCHESTER THE REST OF THIS YEAR...MOTHER NATURE
STARTED TO DELIVER...ALTHOUGH NOT IN USUAL FASHION WITH LAKE EFFECT
SNOW THAT WE ARE SO ACCUSTOMED TOO. ON DECEMBER 21 2012...THE FIRST
SNOW STORM WOULD HIT THE AREA WITH A FEW INCHES ACROSS ROCHESTER.
THE SNOW CAME AS A RESULT OF COLDER AIR AND MOISTURE WRAPPING IN
AROUND THE BACK SIDE OF A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM. SEVERAL DAYS
LATER A SECOND COLDER AND MORE SIGNIFICANT SNOW STORM WOULD BRING UP
TO A FOOT OR MORE OF SNOW IN SOME LOCATIONS BEFORE COMING TO AN END.
AFTER THIS STORM...IT LEFT ROCHESTER IN MUCH BETTER SHAPE IN THE
SNOWFALL CATEGORY...BUT STILL A LITTLE BELOW NORMAL FOR THE MONTH.
PRECIPITATION FOR THE MONTH WAS 3.57 INCHES WHICH IS 0.94 INCHES
ABOVE NORMAL.

WIND WISE...THE AVERAGE WIND SPEED OVER THE MONTH WAS 8.8 MPH...2.5
MPH BELOW THE AVERAGE OF 11.3 MPH. HOWEVER...ROCHESTER STILL MANAGED
A PEAK WIND GUST OF 43 MPH ON THE 22ND.

THE BIG STORY WAS THE RETURN OF COLD TEMPERATURES AND FINALLY SOME
SNOW.

&&

REYNOLDS

$$